Ezekiel 34:18... and so, these are the rants and raves of the wild-eyed pastor Michael Haggard on Religion, Politics, Culture and a whole lot more. Trying to filter the waters that have been muddied for too long. Plug in a brain and let's think a few things out.

Monday, November 06, 2006

Dancing in the Streets

it wouldn’t happen in the USA this way. Oh, it happens, but not THIS way.

Over the weekend, Sandy and I were invited to a Church that is pastored by one of her english students. The Church is about 30 minutes away from our home and on the sea shore. It is a famous town, we are told, because at one time it was the poorest town in Taiwan and the most densely populated. Now it is a thriving little fishing village.

The Church has a sunday evening english conversation class that is taught by the pastor. That evening, a dozen of the church members sat around the table and practiced their english on Sandy and I by telling us their names, ages, family constructs, and hobbies. They also asked us questions. It was really a joy. They were surprisingly friendly and open.

Afterwards, we were told that the youth were having an evangelistic even on a bridge near by. So, we all hopped in the car and drove over to support them. I expected a little two lane bridge in the middle of town. But once we got there I was greatly surprised!

About 20 youth and young adults were holding a concert with bass, drums, keyboards and more accompanying about 8 singers and they were doing a GREAT job singing the name of Jesus and telling of his glory. They were clearly happy and wanting to share their joy. One every corner of the intersection before the bridge, there were people handing out information about the church and tracts about Jesus to the waiting cars.

Now, you might say that you have seen this in the States and elsewhere. But you’d be mistaken...

They were IN the street.

The bridge turned out to be a large 4 lane main artery highway over the harbor. We were at an intersection of 5 roads totaling 18 lanes! The band was standing IN the corner lanes of the road blocking two whole lanes in two directions, giving them the most incredible coverage of the cars and business. I was a little stunned. Wont they get in trouble for blocking lanes on a busy road? the pastor informed be that the local leader (the Shay Zhan, kind of like an american City Councilman) had given them permission to do this every two weeks.

So for two hours every other Sunday night, travelers and shoppers are treated to some rather good musical performances and to some friendly and not overbearing witnesses who are genuinely EXCITED about Jesus. This is a rarity in Taiwan. The worship of idols through local Buddhism and Taoism (and others) is very personal and individual. You never see the local religions having excited and loving praise heaped upon their gods. They are not concerned with advertising the idol’s glory and attributes. Mainly that is because NONE of the idols “love” anyone on earth. They do not forgive, they do not love, they are not concerned. Worship for these idols is reduced to a basic Santa Claus list of “I wants” and “Please help me withs” and “don’t hurt me please” bowings and kowtowing.

These Christians are clearly different and it draws a crowd. Not an angry crowd of motorists! The crowd is of people pulling over to listen, people standing around to hear, and motorcycles that miss their green lite a few times to try and understand.

Oh, Lord, that more Taiwan Churches would show the JOY of the Savior. Perhaps then people could SEE the difference in the Living God.

5 comments:

So for two hours every other Sunday night, travelers and shoppers are treated to some rather good musical performances and to some friendly and not overbearing witnesses who are genuinely EXCITED about Jesus.

I'm glad you guys got permission -- that's quite uncommon.

This is a rarity in Taiwan. The worship of idols through local Buddhism and Taoism (and others) is very personal and individual. You never see the local religions having excited and loving praise heaped upon their gods.

Taiwan has everything from ecstatic individual worship to massive processions like the famous Matsu Procession. Every couple of days I see a religious procession with people setting off firecrackers, possessed by the temple god, dancing, singing, chanting, crying... Their idea of honoring the gods is different from yours. good article here...but it's not lesser. I ran across a thank-you procession at the Wen Wu temple at Sun Moon lake when I was there this summer, amazing experience. Certainly

Mainly that is because NONE of the idols “love” anyone on earth. They do not forgive, they do not love, they are not concerned.

The Chinese gods ARE concerned with what happens on earth, but not all the Chinese gods are loving gods. Some, like Kuanyin, have powerful aspects of love and forgiveness. Some strive for justice. Much placating of ghosts and spirits goes on. Polytheism offers a very rich religious experience that has a something-for-everyone rather than a one-size-fits-all live Christianity. That is part of its enduring appeal.

Chinese religion is extraordinarily complex, dynamic, and adaptive. Don't knock it. It enables people to live together religiously and peacefully -- Chinese culture lacks the West's inglorious history of religious killing -- and gives its believers the meaning they need to understand their place in the scheme of things. It's the reason Christianity has made zero headway in China for the last 1500 years. You can't just dismiss it as worship of idols. The Chinese temples have a much wider range of social functions, as the article on Katz above shows, and this one notes too and consequently, powerfully resistant to evangelization by other religions. Until Christians start taking Chinese religions seriously as social forces, arbiters of political power, and shapers of thought patterns, Christianity will never take off in Taiwan. Which, speaking from my atheistic perspective, that very much enjoys living in a tolerant and religiously easygoing polytheistic society, is fine by me.

Well, I didn't get the permission. I was just an observer. The church has been doing this for much longer than they have known me.

There are estatic forms of worship in Taiwan, but two issues make them different than Christian Worship: [1] estatic worship in Taiwan is rare compared to Christianity, and [2] it is rarely a group practice, limited instead to those in tradition (priests) or in a special service (parade or event like the Burning man). Christian worship is also not always estatic but quite joyful in a manner that is differenet. This is not my oppinion alone, many Taiwanese non-christians have made the same observation to me. There are thank you and honor worships but they tend towards the "event" rather than the "lifestyle."

I don't doubt that there are aspects of a kind of love in some of the idols... again I am going with my observations with questioning worshipers. That love is a limited and conditional love as far as I can tell, not a sacrificial love. The essence of the Christian experience is that God limits himself by making promises that he will not break beacuse of love. The Taiwan view seems to be that no god should be held to a promise. It is a god, therefore he/she can do as she pleases. The Hebrew view of a self-limiting God through coventnat and promise is rather unique. This is the kind of love that a parent has for a child, to die for the child in order that the child might live (die to self, die to desires, and possibly die in actual effort to physically save). The idols love is one of emotional love, as it is commuicated to me by worshipers. They are amazed and a little shocked at the Hebrew view. I have had more than one person say that it is not possible for a god to love in that manner.

Yes, pics... hummm... I write using MacJournal and tried to enclose a pic or two but it didn't work. I am going for low impace here and want to find the simplest way to maintain the sight. Once I figure out a simple way to sync photos with MacJournal I shall!

I am really curious where you saw this; hoping I can check it out the next time I visit Taiwan. Could you possibly pass along their church name, website, or even the name of the bridge or the fishing town? Thank you.

Well, the church has no website and I am not sure of the name in Chinese. I can forward you the pastor's e-mail if you like. This city is DongGang in southern Pingtung county, right on the ocean. It is on the Red Bridge between DongGang and YenPuShou (a VERY small village that is famous for its historical poverty, and the actual town the church is in). I hope this helps!-The Haggard

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About Me

I am a pastor in South East Kansas. I was a missionary living in Taiwan for 12 years. Before that, I was a pastor in the USA for 22 years, a Firefighter (instructor evaluator) EMT for nearly 10 years, and a Railroad conductor for 2 years. As I still collect toys, watch and read SciFi, and build models I gather that I just don't know what I want to do when I grow up. I KNOW that God is faithful even when I am not. Don't base the value of the message on the worth of the messenger... you would end up missing the most important news you have ever heard.